Totally get why you'd want to get out of Florida. Plus, there is a certain amount of stress that comes with living in a place where everything seems to be telling you that you aren't welcome and you may not realize how much it is weighing you down until it is removed. Essex County went red in 2016 and 2020, so that may not be the ideal location in your case, but the rest of the counties in Vermont will probably be varying degrees of accepting. Vermont rural is not Florida rural. (And Vermont crime is not Florida crime.) Cost of living is high in general, but where you live really affects affordability. NEK is cheap, Burlington is expensive, Stowe is where the millionaires play.

Winter is fine if you are prepared for it (dress for the cold so it doesn't feel like winter when you go outside) and make friends with it (don't spend all winter hiding in your house). I'd actually be more concerned if I were you about how much you need to have access to a large variety of commerce, restaurants, clubs, non-nature-based entertainment etc.. If you need that, you will not be happy in Vermont. If you think, like I do, that a fulfilling day is wandering around and staring at trees and rocks and water, you'll be in paradise on earth.

Also, look at Massachusetts, if you can afford it. It's got a fantastic record and is a lot more busy if that is what you like.